Mount Myojogatake

Mount Myojogatake (Mount Myojo) is a 924-metre peak on the border of Hakone and Odawara, one of the ancient somma summits that form the weathered outer rim of the Hakone volcano. Its name means Morning Star or Evening Star, and while it is lower and less celebrated than nearby Mount Kintoki, it holds a special place in local life thanks to the enormous kanji character cut into its western face.

That character - dai, meaning great - is around ten metres across, carved into a clearing on the mountainside above the Gora valley, and once a year it is set ablaze. On 16 August, at the close of the O-bon season when the spirits of ancestors are seen off, the outline is filled with bonfires for the Hakone Daimonji-yaki, the highlight of the Gora summer festival. The giant fiery 'dai' glowing on the dark mountainside, often paired with fireworks, is one of Hakone's great annual spectacles, and the ridge itself, the Gora valley and the surrounding onsen town all become vantage points for the crowds who gather to watch.

For the rest of the year Myojogatake is a rewarding half-day hike. Trails climb from the Miyagino and Sengokuhara sides up onto the old crater rim, and from the clearing around the 'dai' character and the summit ridge the views open across the Hakone highlands - the Gora and Sengokuhara basins below, the encircling peaks, and on clear days Mount Fuji and even Sagami Bay in the distance. The mountain is best known as part of a longer ridge traverse: a popular route follows the old outer rim from Myojogatake over neighbouring Mount Myojin and on toward Mount Kintoki, one of the classic skyline walks of the region, giving experienced hikers a full day on the crater's edge.

The climb is moderate rather than gentle. The trails are steep in places, rooty and rough underfoot, and gain real elevation from the valley floor, so proper footwear, water and a reasonable level of fitness are needed, and it is very much a daylight undertaking with no facilities on the mountain. In return it offers far more solitude than the busy honeypots down in the valley - away from festival day you may share the ridge with only a handful of other walkers. Spring dresses the slopes in fresh green and mountain cherry, while autumn colours the outer-rim forest and delivers the clearest long-distance views.

Because it is open mountain there is no admission fee and no fixed hours, but plan to be down well before dusk. If you are visiting in mid-August it is worth timing around the Daimonji-yaki, though you do not need to climb the peak to enjoy it - the fire is designed to be seen from the town below.

Getting to the trailheads is easy without a car. Hakone Tozan buses running through the Miyagino and Gora area serve the valley below the mountain, and IC cards are accepted. As throughout Hakone the buses are Odakyu-operated and not covered by the Japan Rail Pass, so the Hakone Freepass is the practical ticket for reaching the base of the climb.